In the study of gemstones as a method used for healing, what exactly is meant by “Discharging the stone before treatment.” I have read that rinsing the stone with cold water or burying it for a few days is recommended. However, it doesn’t explain WHY. Can you perhaps elucidate. Thank You

Well now, that’s not a question I ever expected to hear on this site, Friend. And honestly, Granny’s more of an herbalist than I am a healer with crystals; I deal in common sense and green growing things. But your question intrigued me, and since I didn’t know the answer, I walked up the road to visit with a friend of mine who practices alternative healing techniques. And boy howdy, did she give me an earful of information! Turns out that crystalline gems also “grow” in a manner of speaking, and have some very interesting properties.

She says that the reason that you want to clear or cleanse a crystal before medicinal or healing use is because the very same properties or resonance which make crystals useful for healing can also cause the crystal to absorb negative energies, which would definitely be counter-productive from a medicinal standpoint. You’d be making someone sicker instead of helping them to get well! These energies can be absorbed in the crystal mine, from a mine worker, or from anyone else down the line who may have handled and/or used that crystal between the time it slept in the earth and the time you hold it in your hand. Most healers use “white” healing, but crystals can be used for many purposes, and you just don’t know what yours has been exposed to. My friend likes to use white quartz, rose quartz, and amethyst for general purposes, but launched into an explanation of different gems and their effects on the human body. Granny’s not about to tackle something like that on this site, at least not yet…but it’s a fascinating study.

So there’s your answer to the question of “why” they need to be cleansed and essentially discharged and “recharged” before you use them for healing. Each crystal/gemstone might need a different discharging method, depending on what influences it was exposed to before it came into your possession. My friend usually meditates near the crystal/gem before deciding what method to use. (She said that she actually asks the crystal what it wants/needs to be rebalanced.) Usually, being buried in the earth briefly or sitting in the sunshine works well. Also, putting the crystal into free-running water, or sitting it in clean water with some sea salt added are good choices. If you do find a gem which has really negative emanations, your best bet is to bury it in the ground surrounded by a circle of sea salt so that negativity cannot leech out to affect other living creatures.

Now, you realize that this is just a bare-bones sketch of a very fascinating method of alternative healing, right? Maybe I’ll visit with my friend again, and perhaps we can write a little article about gemstones used in healing. Until then, we’ll just “rock” on, out here in the Sticks. Come on back anytime, Granny’s always glad to see you.

Love,

Granny

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